Polaroid Portrait Photography by Tony Viramontes in the 1970s and 1980s

Born 1956 in Santa Monica, California, American artis Tony Viramontes trained in Los Angeles and New York City, who found success in Europe and Japan as a fashion illustrator and photographer. From the late 1970s, his works appeared in numerous publications including Vogue, Marie Claire, Women’s Wear Daily, L’Uomo Vogue, ID, Tatler, Per Lui, Lei, Le Monde and La Mode en Peinture.

Viramontes produced album and single covers for recording artists and bands, including Control for Janet Jackson, All Systems Go for Donna Summer, So Red The Rose for Arcadia, Shock for the Motels and the 1984 Olympic Games theme Destiny by Phil Pickett.

Viramontes died in 1988 at the age of 31 of an AIDS related illness.

“He was very creative, and I believe one day his work will be iconic. he was such a joy to work with. I miss him.” – Jackson said of Viramonte.

Take a look at part of his work through a polaroid photo set that Viramontes shot his friends and celebrities in the 1970s and 1980s.